Don't judge a shoe by its covering

Running with no shoes on, the theory goes, makes for faster reflexes, a stronger body, and a healthier mind. Fans of the style claim that even the lightest-weight shoes are unnatural and actually weaken your feet over the long term, causing more injuries than they prevent because they alter our natural biomechanics. All that support in the heel? It just encourages a disproportionately heavy heel strike. A thick outsole? It mutes our proprioception—our subconscious sense of spatial orientation.

AT&T just launched its TerreStar Genus smartphone first announced about a year ago. This dual-mode hybrid phone serves up satellite capability as a secondary option for voice, data, and messaging.

"We understand the importance to stay connected in remote locations and especially in emergency situations, and today’s announcement is the latest example of AT&T’s commitment to delivering the highest levels of service, quality and reliability for customers," said Michael Antieri, President, Advanced Enterprise Mobility Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions. "With this expansion of AT&T’s innovative mobility portfolio, AT&T is helping businesses and government agencies stay connected with a single device, single support contact and single bill."

The TerreStar Genus runs on Windows Mobile 6.5 and includes a 2.6-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2MP camera, GPS, microSD card slot, and a full QWERTY keyboard.

It's available now for enterprise, government, and small business customers for $800, with phone and satellite service running $25/month.

We're not hating on TN panels, but when price is not an object, we'll take an IPS over a TN screen 10 times out of 10 (or 11 times out of 10 now that gaming performance usually isn't an issue). Alas, for most people price is an issue, and LaCie's latest 24-inch IPS display commands a hefty premium.

Pricing starts out at $1,250, which doesn't include the optional hood and blue eye colorimeter. What it does include is a 10-bit P-IPS LCD panel with wide color gamuts. We're talking 102 percent NTSC and 98 percent RGB.

"For years, LaCie has designed monitors for digital artists who demand color precision," said Ahcene Tirane, LaCie Product Manager for Displays. "From concept to creation, LaCie developed the 324i with the highest level of color accuracy, and with a firm belief that when professionals have a tool that enhances their workflow, they can deliver their best work."

The display supports a native resolution of 1920x1200 (16:10). It comes equipped with an HDMI port, DisplayPort, DVI-D port, and Component connection. Other features include a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 6ms response time (gray to gray), and audio inputs.

Given the plethora of tablets around the corner (and by around the corner, we mean by the end of the year and into 2011), we reckon a handful of manufacturers will adopt "pad" in the product's name, like the WePad. It won't take long for the market to become muddled with various 'pads,' making it even harder to stand out from the competition.

Whether or not that played a part in RIM's recent decision to drop the BlackPad designation from its upcoming tablet, we don't know. What we do know is that RIM is looking for a new name, and it may have found one.

The smartphone maker applied for a trademark on the name SurfBook, which we think has a nicer ring to it than BlackPad. Whether or not they stick with it remains to be seen, but it appears RIM still wants to make sure its BlackBerry branding remains tied in, so perhaps it will be known as the BlackBerry SurfBook.

Sony's latest PS3 firmware update is sure to please those PS3 owners who have already bought into the 3D hype. Firmware v. 3.50, which the company began rolling out today, brings 3D Blu-ray support to the console, turning it into a 3D Blu-ray player. Of course, you will still need to ensure that the PS3 is connected to a 3D TV. As some of you might recall, Sony enabled stereoscopic 3D gaming on the PS3 through a similar firmware update in April, before proceeding towards offering 3D game titles through the PlayStation Network for the first time in June. So now “the only console on the market that can support full stereoscopic 3D gaming” is also a full-fledged 3D Blu-ray player.

Cutting-edge wrist watches: futuristic, yes, but can they also tell time?

You don’t need a million-dollar, multiple-complication chronometer to wear maximum tech on your arm. The watches reviewed here may not be paragons of mechanical engineering, but each makes a bold technology statement in its own right—and for a reasonable price.

3D or not 3D—that is the question for this entertainment center essential

If you don’t need a device that will guarantee support for the Blu-ray 3D spec, now is a fabulous time to pick up a high-end A/V receiver. Yamaha’s RX-V3900 is a prime example. This 7.1-channel monster boasts a to-die-for feature set, delivers great gobs of power, and is selling online for hundreds less than its $1,900 MSRP. It’s also the audio box we used for our “Build the Ultimate TV & Movie PC” project showcased on this issue’s disc.

If you’re a fan of conspiracies about the Illuminati, the Stonecutters, and how George Lucas died in 1981 while shooting Revenge of the Jedi, then you’ll appreciate me blowing the lid off an even bigger cover-up that cuts closer to our technology-obsessed hearts: The media’s secret pro-Apple bias.

Don’t believe me? I’ve got proof.

In 2008, Apple held a press conference to announce its new unibody MacBook Pro. Now, in my 18 years as a journalist, I’ve been to plenty of press conferences. Technology press conferences (especially product launches) are generally snoozefests, and the only way to get reporters to even show up is to offer free food and booze. Apple’s press conference, however, had to be held in an auditorium that could accommodate 200 or so journalists from around the globe—journalists who had willingly, voluntarily gathered to see the new MacBook Pro.